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| back to archivesLEGISLATIVE ALERTVol.
XIV, No. 7 VIA
FACSIMILE TO:
NYS Association of Small City School Districts FROM:
Robert E. Biggerstaff, Esq. DATE:
April 5, 2000 RE:
State Budget 2000-2001 ______________________________________________________________________________
The Senate and Assembly Joint Committee on Conference on the
State Budget met for the first time today, April 5, 2000,
commencing the process of detailed negotiations over the
2000-2001 State Budget. Both Senator Bruno, Senate Majority
Leader, and Assemblyman Silver, Assembly Speaker, addressed the
Committee announcing the guidelines for operation of the Joint
Committee on Conference and the several subcommittees. The
Joint Committee was composed of Senators Bruno, Stafford, Skelos,
Velella and Connor, and for the Assembly, Assemblymen Silver,
Bragman, Connolly, Farrell and Faso. It was reported that a
three-way agreement had been reached, that overall State spending
for the new fiscal year could not exceed $78.2 billion, or $1.4
billion over that recommended in the Executive Budget.
The Majority Leader and Speaker then announced the membership of
each of the several subcommittees, including education, which is
comprised of Senator Kuhl (co-chairman), Senator Seward, Senator
Marcellino, Senator Meier (alternate), Senator Oppenheimer and
Senator Hevesi (alternate). Assembly members of the
education subcommittee are Assemblyman Sanders (co-chairman),
Assemblyman Tonko, Assemblyman Griffith, Assemblywoman John,
Assemblyman Vitaliano (alternate) and Assemblyman Flanagan.
The Joint Committee announced it will reconvene on April 11,
2000. During the next several days, the various
subcommittees will be meeting. The Education subcommittee
has been allocated $635 million (fiscal year basis) over the
Governor's Budget, which probably represents over $1.0 billion in
new education funding on a school year basis. The Joint
Committee, however, has reserved to itself unallocated funds
within the overall Budget parameter and may have discretion to
increase that allocation if it becomes necessary.
The Education subcommittee met later in the day and spent almost
an hour and one-half outlining the major areas of agreement and
disagreement. Key issues of debate will include whether to
fully fund Ladder, the extent of operating aid and operating
standards aid increases and the trade-off between operating aid
save harmless and transition aid cap relief or elimination.
Also, both Assemblyman Paul Tonko (Democrat -
Amsterdam/Schenectady) and Assemblywoman Susan John (Democrat -
Rochester) expressed great concern over the financial impact of
charter schools and asked that this issue be resolved.
If your district is affected by either the Hurd Aid phase-out
proposed by the Governor or the transition aid cap, it is
critical at this time that you contact your Senate and
Assembly representatives personally here in Albany during the
next several days to ask for their support. This is
especially important if your Senator or Assemblyman is on the
Joint Committee or the Education subcommittee. If in making
these contacts you receive feedback, please call or fax or e-mail
information to me as soon as possible (518-462-5300, 518-436-0210
(fax) and reb@degraff-foy.com). REB/kas
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